Kodable

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Subject: Technologies Year Level: Suitable for all years

Strand: Digital Technologies Sub strand: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Recognise and explore patterns in data and represent data as pictures, symbols and diagrams (ACTDIK002)

Follow, describe and represent a sequence of steps and decisions (algorithms) needed to solve simple problems (ACTDIP004)

Overview of Kodable: Kodable makes learning to code fun for students. They must drag and drop commands to program their fuzzy character to get through a maze. By doing this, they learn problem solving, computational thinking, sequence, conditions, loops, functions and debugging. These are skill necessary for learning any programming language.

Kodable includes interactive tutorials for each new concept. Students can learn new programming terms and logic without any adult assistance. The tutorials are completely voiced and walk kids through the first problem in each new lesson.

You can also download the app for free on your iPhone, iPad or tablet!

For more information and to purchase visit: https://www.kodable.com/resources

 

 

Blue-Bot

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Subject: Technologies Year Level: Suitable for all years

Strand: Digital Technologies Sub strand: Digital Technologies Processes and Production Skills

Recognise and explore patterns in data and represent data as pictures, symbols and diagrams (ACTDIK002)

Identify and explore a range of digital systems with peripheral devices for different purposes, and transmit different types of data (ACTDIK007)

Overview of Blue-Bot: Blue-Bot is a robot that can be programmed in a variety of ways providing progression for children. It is controllable via bluetooth which means you can control it with your tablet or PC. It provides children with a means of creating their own logical programming sequences in a fun and interesting way.

At the beginning the keys on the Blue-Bot’s back are pressed to control forward, backward, 90 degree turns, to pause and to stop. Using this approach children can build their first programs in simple logical steps. The Tactile Reader helps children further develop their programming skills by allowing them to visually create a linear programming sequence by placing cards into frame. For clarity, card sequences can be arranged either horizontally or vertically. Finally, it can also be controlled remotely by Apple, Android or Windows devices providing a wonderful practical example of programming a physical device.

The Blue-Bot comes ready to go with a rechargeable cell and USB recharging lead. Numerous other Blue-Bot resources are available, supporting its use in the classroom.

For more information and to purchase visit: http://www.tts-group.co.uk/blue-bot-bluetooth-programmable-floor-robot/1007812.html?utm_source=youtube.com&utm_medium=socialmedia&utm_campaign=BBvid16

Links to other learning areas: Mathematics

Content Descriptors: Location and transformation

Give and follow directions to familiar locations (ACMMG023)

Identify and describe half and quarter turns (ACMMG046)

Coding Basics and Commands – An Inside Look at Cargo-Bot – JOSH GARDINER

Subject: Digital Technologies

Year Level: 6

Strand: Processes and Production Skills

Sub Strand: Digital Implementation

Content Descriptor: Implement and use simple visual programming environments that include branching (decisions), iteration (repetition) and user input (ACTDIP020)

Link to the Resource:

https://twolivesleft.com/CargoBot/

 

Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities:

  • Literacy
  • Numeracy
  • Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
  • Critical and Creative Thinking (CCT)
  • Personal and Social Capability (PSC)

Links to Other Learning Areas:

  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science

A Classroom Activity Using this Resource:

Cargo-Bot is a fantastic tool to introduce your students to coding through everyone’s favourite form of gambling; the claw machine. That machine that always look so easy to play, so easy to win, how could you possibly lose?

Claw machines aside; Cargo-Bot is an intuitive piece of software that sees your students applying simple movement commands in a sequence to reach a target or end goal. This follows the simple path of what coding is. A list of commands that will result in a specific outcome.

This piece of software introduces students to these basic concepts. They have to apply certain understandings to reach the end goal.

The students can explore and interact with the software in a safe environment as it provides a visual learning experience; you can see what commands are being performed and you can adjust where needed to complete the correct series of commands.

How to Use this Resource:

  • Cargo-Bot is exclusive to Apple iPad formats.
  • Once you have downloaded the app.
  • Launch the app on your device.
  • The software follows a progressive system in that it the levels start of simple and become more complex as your progress through the levels.
  • You can monitor your progress and improve on your previous scores by achieving efficient commands.
  • Play in collaboration with others or individually to reinforce specific skills.

 

By Josh Gardiner

Pre-service Teacher

Edith Cowan University

Perth, Western Australia.

Story Jumper

Making a story

Making a story

Story Jumper is an online virtual storybook students create individually.

Year Level: F-6 (Can be used in secondary if teacher wished to)

Strand: Design and Technologies

Substrand: Process and Production Skills

Link to resource: www.storyjumper.com

Cross Curriculum Priorities and General Capabilities: Depending of the topic and theme set for the story the students can link this too all cross curriculum priorities.
(Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
Sustainability.)

Links to other learning areas (general capabilities): Main connection with literacy, has the potential to link in with HASS, numeracy and science depending on task set out by the classroom teacher.

A classroom activity using this resource:
Story jumper can be used for students to creative imaginative narrative style stories for there peers or students in a ‘buddy class’. Teachers might like to link the story jumper into their HASS studies and have students create a story about a historical individual or a fictional character travelling through a country they have been researching in geography. Students at a pre-reading level can use the resource to create picture books and verbally tell there story to their teacher or peers, so teachers can gain an insight to their understanding of narrative structure. Students can also be exposed to peer assessment through this resource, students can project their story onto the smartboard/projector/whiteboard and read and present their unique creation to the class. Peers can then give feedback (written or verbal) to the presenter which gives them immediate feedback on their strengths and also how to improve their story. Students have to opportunity to go back through each page of their book once it has been completed for self editing purposes, this can becoming an activity in its self, seeing how many errors a student can pick up from their own work before having it checked by a partner or teacher. This resource can be used across all Primary year levels, tie in to various themes or programs in the classroom and is very appealing to the students.

How to use this resource:

The resource is free to join and log in. A teacher can sign up, log in and state they wish to use this program for their students and organise usernames and log ins, or students can sign up individually. Once they are logged in students have the option to use a ready made template or start from a blank template. Most of the time the students will pick blank template and begin creating their story. Students follow the prompts on screen to easily produce their own story relating to which ever theme of topic the classroom teacher desires. Work can be saved easily at any point and students can pick up right where they left of in the next lesson.

How this resource develops computational thinking:
Computational thinking is a two step process:
1. First, we think about the steps needed to solve a problem.
2. Then, we use our technical skills to get the computer working on the problem.

When students see the task at hand and start planning and devising how they are going to write each page and what they need to include; this is computational thinking. Everything that is done before starting work on the computer is their problem solving and develops their computational thinking.

Book Creator® app for iPad

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Subject:  Technologies

Strand: Digital Technologies

Year Level: 2 – 6

Platforms: iPad

Description: Book Creator by Red Jumper is a fantastic and easy way to create and publish wonderful ebooks from your iPad. Book Creator allows students to create and publish a variety of books including story books, journals, photo books, text books, comic books, children’s picture books and many more. The app is highly engaging and allows students across all year levels to publish work they have produced in any subject area such as English, Science, HASS and The Arts. Students can work individually or collaboratively in small groups to create different types of books. The app can even be used to produce a teacher led whole class project/unit of work. By publishing their work into different book styles, students are able to share their books as digital resources with other students in their class and throughout the school. They are even able to publish their books to the iBooks Store!

**Winner of a Parents’ Choice Gold Award  **THE No.1 Book app for the iPad in 80 countries **Voted Best Educational App in the 2015 BETT Awards.

Features: The app has a huge variety of features that are appropriate for all ages and provide students with the opportunity to produce books to a high standard. Features include: Over 50 font options, upload photos and images from the web, iPad or iPad camera, add music, video and voice recording (narration), choose from a variety of book sizes and layouts, page turning animations, background music, built in dictionary and bookmarks.

How to / Resource Links:

Book Creator® for iPad – Introduction:

  • Tutorial – Creating a book using Book Creator:

  • Creating a Comic Book – example:

Learning Area Structure (Year 2 – 6): 

Knowledge and Understanding

  • Digital systems
    • the components of digital systems: hardware, software and networks and their use

    Representation of data

    • how data are represented and structured symbolically

Processes and Production Skills

  • Collecting, managing and analysing data. Creating digital solutions by:
    • investigating and defining
    • generating and designing
    • producing and implementing
    • evaluating
    • collaborating and managing

Sub-strands and Content Descriptors (From Year 2 – 6):  http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/digital-technologies/curriculum/f-10?layout=1

References:

Book Creator®. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.redjumper.net/bookcreator/

Book Creator® Videos. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/user/bookcreatorapp/videos

Technologies Curriculum Learning Area Structure. (2016). Retrieved from Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority website: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/structure

Find App Here:

Apple iTunes Store: https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/book-creator-for-ipad-create/id442378070?mt=8

LEGO® Movie Maker app

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Subject:  Technologies

Strand: Digital Technologies

Year Level: F – 2

Platforms: iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch app

Description: A dynamic and FREE app that allows students to create their own animated/ stop motion movies. Students are able to design, plan, develop and create customised movies individually or collaboratively. This app is a highly engaging resource that strongly links to English, promoting script writing and storyboarding. The app challenges students’ thinking and encourages them to create content (produce a movie) rather than just consume it. To support students, the app provides easy to understand guides and simple tools to film and edit their movies. It also provides a large variety of features which include:  editing tools, music & sound effects and recording, the ability to add & delete frames, filters, title cards & text and options to save to camera roll.

Benefits: The engagement factor! This app combines two things that students love…LEGO and movies! Students are excited to work with LEGO and bring their LEGO characters, stories and ideas to life. They are engaged to think, create and develop great work and demonstrate confidence and enthusiasm in presenting their final product to an audience. This fantastic app can also be used across the curriculum in subject areas including: MATHS and THE ARTS.

How to / Resource Links:

LEGO® Movie Maker App: Animation Tips and Tricks

  • Building Tips and Tricks

  • Storyboard & Editing Tips and Tricks

  • Camera Tips and Tricks

Sub-strands and Content Descriptors: 

Knowledge and Understanding

  • Recognise and explore digital systems (hardware and software components) for a purpose (ACTDIK001)

Processes and Production Skills

  • Create and organise ideas and information using information systems independently and with others, and share these with known people in safe online environments (ACTDIP006)

References:

LEGO® Movie Maker. (2016). Retrieved from https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lego-movie-maker/id516001587?mt=8

LEGO® Movie Maker Videos. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/user/LEGO/search?query=movie+maker

Technologies Curriculum Foundation to Year 2. (2016). Retrieved from Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority website: http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/technologies/digital-technologies/curriculum/f-10?y=F-2&s=DIKU&s=DIPPS&c=1&c=2&c=3&c=4&c=5&c=7&c=6&layout=1

Find App Here:

Apple iTunes Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lego-movie-maker/id516001587?mt=8